Stepfather declines to give evidence in murder trial

Summarised from LancsLive's report · Updated 19 Oct, 16:31 · Archive

A stepfather accused of murdering a university student at her halls of residence in Preston will not give evidence in his own defence.

Nathan Owens, 34, is accused of attacking and killing Carla Georgescu, a second year psychology student, who was found dead at her halls of residence in Preston on her 20th birthday on 5 February 2026. The defence has closed without presenting any evidence, and Owens will not take the witness box to give an account of his own, though the judge confirmed he had been advised that jurors could draw inferences from his failure to testify.

The prosecution alleges that Owens was sexually obsessed with his stepdaughter and murdered her after viewing secret videos he had captured of her. They say he was motivated by sexual jealousy after learning she planned to meet her online boyfriend for the first time in Romania. CCTV footage shown in court captured Owens letting Carla into the accommodation block at around 4.30am on 4 February 2026, and the prosecution say he was the last person to see her alive.

Read the report

• Stepdad declines to give evidence in university student murder trialNathan Owens is alleged to have murdered his stepdaughter Carla Georgescu, who he was 'sexually obsessed with'LancsLive · 19 Oct, 16:11

In this story: Nathan Owens · Carla Georgescu · Preston Crown Court · Preston · Hartlepool

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